Michael James Romeo (born March 6, 1968) is the guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X.

Michael began playing guitar at age 14 and takes his influences from a wide of range sources including Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Al DiMeola, J.S. Bach, John Williams and Frank Zappa, although he draws most heavily from a neo-classical style reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen. Despite this, Michael manages to maintain an identifiable signature that sets him apart from other players in this genre by fusing exotic scales and arpeggios (such as the half-diminished, whole tone and Egyptian scale), non-standard rhythms, time signatures and a raw neo-classical edge. An element of jazz is also present in his music.

Although Michael has received coverage in many guitar magazines around the world, he is best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Symphony X which he founded in 1994 after a request by a Japanese record label who were impressed by Michael’s demo tape, The Dark Chapter.

An incredibly technical player, Michael is most famous for lightning-fast sweep picking and tapping though he also has great alternate picking technique, despite the fact that his style relies more on a softer legato attack and his trademark sweep-tapping licks.